GOP returns Mitt Romney ‘gifts’

A handful of prominent Republicans criticized Mitt Romney for his disparaging remarks about President Barack Obama’s “gifts” to core constituencies, saying that it was the wrong message to send voters as the party tries to rebuild itself after a bruising defeat.

“I don’t think it’s helpful,” Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad told POLITICO at the Republican Governors Association conference on Thursday. “I guess my feeling is that we need to turn the page, and we need to focus on the future and not make excuses for the past.”

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Christie: Romney is upset

Jindal: 'Absolutely reject' theory

PHOTOS: Hits on Mitt's 'gifts' gaffe

Florida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio — a prominent Romney backer during the campaign and a possible 2016 candidate — also distanced himself from the remarks on Thursday, calling them “an analysis to donors.”

Rubio said that as a party, “our mission should not be to deny government benefits to people who need them,” but the GOP should work to ensure “less people need government benefits.”

“I don’t want to rebut him point by point,” Rubio said of Romney. “I would just say to you, I don’t believe that we have millions and millions of people in this country that don’t want to work. I’m not saying that’s what [Romney] said. I think we have millions of people in this country that are out of work and are dependent on the government because they can’t find a job.”

The chorus of pushback from Republican officials grew louder this afternoon regarding Romney’s remarks on a donor conference call yesterday. The former GOP presidential nominee told donors that Obama had won reelection because of “gifts” to “especially the African-American community, the Hispanic community and young people,” including loan programs for students and free contraceptives for women in Obama’s health care bill.

The criticism comes as the party is recovering from a thumping defeat in the presidential and Senate contests on Nov. 6. By all accounts, Romney and his team expected to win, and were stunned by higher-than-expected turnout among African-Americans and Latinos, who voted for Obama by huge margins. Romney’s camp underestimated the amount of Democrats that would ultimately turn out to vote and was overconfident about enthusiasm on its side.

In the wake of the elections, many commentators — including Republicans — have criticized Romney for turning off Hispanic voters with harsh language about self-deportation and not making an aggressive push to win that voting bloc, where he was creamed.

It used to be that politicians (of both parties) bribed the electorate with their own money. Now they are bribing them with borrowed money. Rest well Mitt you can take comfort in the fact that you have the courage to speak the truth. The American people are in for a very rude awakening. Mitt was but the drummer boy for the economic chaos that is yet to come. 700 point drop since Santa was elected...

Few know about Romney's role as governor of MA in the lack of oversight of NECC (New England Compounding Center), the company who is responsible for giving thousands of Americans drug products (primarily cortisone shots) contaminated with fungal meningitis.

The investigation thus far reveals that dating back to 2004, the NECC company had been cited for violations when Mitt Romney was Governor of the State.

Records from the FDA show that back in 2002 several people had adverse reactions to the medication in other shots produced by NECC involving Betamethasone repository another steroid.

Over six complaints were filed in 2006, but in 2004 the Mass. Board of Pharmacies that reported to Mitt Romney gave NECC clearance to continue with just a slight reprimand and NECC agreed to admit to negligence back then

Today, the NECC’s license has been revoked, and it’s facilities finally are shut down from any further infecting of the public with a deadly disease.

This whole disaster happened on Mitt Romney’s watch as governor of Mass. Romney campaigned for president on deregulating Wall Street, businesses and promoting such activities that led to the deaths of 25 Americans possibly more.

It is of note that the NECC president Greg Coniglario donated to GOP Scott Brown’s campaign against Elizabeth Warren, a Democrat and hosted fundraisers for Brown.

Nothing like getting their posterior kicked across the electoral map to bring out the celebration of diversity among Republicans. After two instances of comments like this from Romney I have to believe that he truly believes that Latinos and African-Americans are freeloaders. Maybe if the GOP presents him with a new car elevator he'll stop talking. Romney lost, so I'm sure the rest of the GOP wishes everyone would forget that he exists. Which is hard if he keeps hopping around with his foot in his mouth.

Mitt Romney, a guy who routinely pays less than 15% in taxes on millions of $ income, significantly less than my effective tax rate and that of many others who make far less than he does, has the audacity to talk about "gifts" from the government. The carried interest loophole, a gift that has benefited him so greatly over the years, is a farce. But I'm sure in his mind he somehow deserves this special treatment. What a hypocritical jerk. Thank God this clueless, aristocratic vulture capitalist lost.................................................

Seems like Romney simply adjusted his 47% speech to be now 51%. But then he's never been that good at math.

As for Rubio and Jindal distancing themselves from Romney - as 2016 approaches, the mention of Romney will be as toxic for Republicans as Bush was in 2012. Does anyone think Romney will even be invited to the 2016 convention?

Romney and his party simply offered nothing to the American people. The fact that he is blaming Obama for his loss proves that the people made the correct choice. He offered nothing but ambition to be president just because he was wealthy and the Mormons offered him backing. He and his party offer nothing new in a world that is changing. How sad he feels he must blame others for his failings.

No one loved Romney, not even the Republicans. They actually secretly hated him and all these 2016 GOP/tea baggin' governor wannabees were also praying silently for him to lose. Well he did. Thank God!!!